Flight connection for chains



'April 12, 1949- P. c. DE BRUYNE FLIGHT CONNECTION FOR CHAINS Filed Deo. 8, 1945 Patented Apr. l2, 1949 FLIGHT v'CONNECTION FOR.' CHAINS Philip C. De Bruyne,-St. Charles, Ill., assgnorto Moline Malleable .Iron Co., St. Charles, Ill., a corporation'of Illinois Application December 8, 1945, Seral-No. 633,737

(Cl. ISS-1F76) 4`Claims.

1 My invention relates to an improvement in conveyors and -relates particularly to flights for conveyor chains which may be employed for conveying materials.

Another purposeis to provide a flight which `may be readily applied to and removed from a chain.

Another vpurpose is to provide a flight which itself connects or completes two adjacentchain links or link portions.

Another purpose is to provide connecting means for afli'ght in which there shall be a minimum of outward projections which can be battered or deformed by use.

Another purpose is to provide improved means for connecting a night to a chain.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating the `ight connected in a chain;

Figure 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the flight structure;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation;

Figure '7 is a section on the line 1--1 of Figure 3, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a half link adapted to be secured to the flight.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings I illustrate a chain including links I' which may lie in a horizontal plane and connecting links 2 which may lie in a vertical plane. The flight structure proper is shown as including a bottom or base plate 3 which has its largest width, from front to back, in its middle section, and has forwardly inclined rear edges 4 at each side of the flight. Along its generally rectilinear front edge 5 is an integral upwardly extending front wall 6 shown as further connected to the base plate 3 by end webs or reinforcements 9 and intermediate ribs or reinforcements IIJ. Upwardly extending from the base plate 3 and formed unitarily with the base plate and with the front wall 6 is a connecting portion generally indicated as II. It includes upwardly extending side walls I2, I3 which are reinforced at their rear ends by webs or ribs Il 2 which are unitary with the walls fl, I3 and with the bottom plate 3. The webs I4'a`re separated by a slot I5 which extends substantially fromtop to bottom of the structure. A corresponding forward-slot II, preferably of identical sizeandv shape, breaks the forward surface of the front Vwall 6, the 'two slots being aligned along theiaxis of the chain. Intermediate top and botftom `reinforcements or transverse connecting aportions-Il, I8 connect the side walls I2, I3. The

side wall I3 isprovided with an entry aperture 2|] adapted to receive a key 2l vwhichis shown as -having flat upperand lower faces and as being substantially wider than its depth. It is providedwith an end portion'22 which'enters a recess 23.in the wall I2. The recess may extend entirely vthrough the wall Abut preferably termi- .nates somewhat short of the outer face ofthe wall, to Vprovide aflush face. The key 2I may be lockedin position by the set screw `2li vwhich has -aflower'portion 25 which enters an'appropriate aperture'26 in the end 22 of the key'2l and which, if desired, canlbe extended downwardly into an aperture lv2l inthewall I2. AnysuitabletoolZB, indicated in dotted line in Fig. 4, may be employed to enter the aperture 29 in the end of the set screw 24. When the set screw is in position it is preferably ush with the top of the wall I2. Similarly, the end of the key 2l is preferably flush with the side surface of the wall I3.

It will be clear from Fig. 2 that the recesses or slots I5, I6 communicate with enlarged portions or cavities 30, 3I which are open topped. Into these may be dropped the ends of half links such as are shown in Fig. 8. Each such half link includes an upper portion 33 and a lower portion 34 connected by a bend 35. At the end of the portions 33 and 34 are lateral enlargements 36, 31, which conform generally to the contour of the open topped cavities 30 and 3l. The members 36 and 31 are shown as outwardly tapered cross bars. It will be noted also that the lower link portion 34 defines a link receiving seat or depression 38, as is clear for example from Figs. 6 and '1. 'Ihe links may be dropped in to position prior to the insertion of the key 2|. When the half links are in the position in which they are shown in Figs. 2 and 7 the key 2| may be inserted through the aperture 20 in the wall I3. It will then take the position in which it is shown in Fig. '7 and will lock the half links against upward removal. In order to prevent unintended movement of the key 2 I' the set screw 24 is then inserted, taking the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4. Thereafter the half links cannot be removed unless and until the operator unscrews and removes the set screw 24, and removes the key 2l. It will be understood, of course, that the half links are connected with adjacent chain links l, as shown in Fig. 1, before they are inserted into the flight. It will be noted that the key 2| and the set screw 24 have no outwardly extending Iportions and are 'substantially flush with the adjacent facesof the walls I2 and I3. Preferably the upper surfaces of the half links are substantially flush with the upper surface of the flight, as shown for examplev in Fig. 7.

It will be realized that, whereas, I have described and illustrated a practical kand operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

I claim:

1. In a night adapted for removable attachment to chains, aflight structure including an integral chain receiving portion having side walls and generally parallel yslots extending to the top of the ight, said slots being formed and adapted to receive half links having laterally enlarged end portions, means for holding said half links from unintended upward movement in said slots including a key adapted to interpenetrate with said side walls, one side wall being apertured to permit the insertion of the key therethrough, the other side wall having an internal recess adapted to receive and protect the inner end of said key, and securing means, insertable from outside the ilight structure, adapted to penetrate said key.

2. In a flight adapted for removable attachment to chains, a flight structure including an integral chain receiving portion having side walls and generally parallel slots extending to the top of the night, said slots being formed and adapted to receive half links having laterally enlarged end portions, means for holding said half links from 4 unintended upward movement in said slots including a key adapted to interpenetrate with said side walls, one side wall being apertured to permit the insertion of the key therethrough, and securing means, insertable from outside the ight structure, adapted to penetrate said key, including a socketed set screw having an outer end ilush with the top of one of said side walls.

3. In combination, in a flight structure and chain, a iiight having a transversely extending body portion provided with front and rear slots open at the top, half links having end portions adapted to penetrate and be seated in said slots, and means for holding said links against unintended movement in said slots, each said link including an upper and a lower arm connected by a bend, and having an outwardly tapered cross bar at the end of each said arm, said cross bars being of uniform length and taper, said slots being formed to conform generally, in horizontal cross section, to said cross bars.

4. In combination, in a ight structure and chain, a flight having a transversely extending body portion provided with front and rear slots open at the top, half links having laterally enlarged end portions adapted to penetrate and be seated in said slots, and means for holding said links against unintended movement in said slots, each said link having an upper and a lower arm connected by a bend, the lower arm having a terminal upward projection forming, with the bend, a downwardly extending recess adapted to receive an adjacent link.

P. C. DE BRUYNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,850,686 Pangborn Mar. 22, 1932 1,959,327 Adams May 22, 1934 

